Headlines
by Hope Swings
Summary: The life of an upandcoming journalist can be very hectic. Add on a brother in the hospital, a stalker from your past, and a nearly nonexistant love life and you get Kagome Higurashi. And now, a mysterious celebrity enters this chaotic mess. Oh boy...
1. Breathe Another Day

**Disclaimer- **These characters are not from my imagination. They belong to someone else and I am only using them for my own purposesto entertain others and fulfill my need to express myself through my writing. Isn't that sad?

_Hey, there! I hope you enjoy this story that's been festering and aging in my mind. It took forever to finally get it down and how I wanted it. I'm hoping it'll just get better and better as time goes on. Like wine! Ha-ha! Okay, so hope you like it and continue reading as this story progresses. Thanks! Ciao! - Hope Swings_

**Headlines- Chapter 1: Breath Another Day**

"Kagome, I need your article on my desk by tomorrow morning!" the editor of _The Hot Spot_ called as she passed by her doorway, surrounded by cronies waving articles in her face while squawking like a flock of miffed chickens.

"Sure thing, Eri! I'll have it ready by tonight!" Kagome called back, smirking slightly at Eri's expression when she walked by.

All she got in reply was a wave from the depths of the yammering blob of people. Shaking her head, Kagome went back to her work, typing furiously to get her next article up for printing on Friday after going through the long, grueling process of editing and checking and approval. Glancing at her watch, she groaned. Sango was going to kill her….

"I'm going to kill her." Sango growled murderously as she glared at the clock on the wall as it ticked away the seconds, adding to her soon-to-be-dead best friend's tardiness.

Taking a deep breath, Sango tried to calm down as a waiter came back for the fifth time. It took all of her will power and anger management classes to not completely blow up on the young man who was just trying to help. But that didn't keep the stinging bite out of her voice….

"Would you like to just go ahead and order?" he asked- although politely- exasperatedly.

"No! I would not!" Sango snapped angrily.

"Alright…. Would you like anything to drink then?..." he asked hesitantly, taking a step away from the fuming woman in front of him.

"Just get me another Dr Pepper, please." Sango said, suddenly exhausted, letting her shoulders slump.

"Stood you up? I know how it is." He said kindly, taking her empty glass to go get her more Dr Pepper.

"Yeah, I'm gonna murder my best friend, slowly and painfully. If you're asked about it by the police, you didn't hear anything I just said." The waiter smiled and nodded, walking off to get her refill. Sango just propped her forehead against the table top. She and a certain forgetful friend were going to have a very long talk about what happened when she got home. And someone would definitely end up in excruciatingly painful amount of agony by the end of the night. And it would not be her.

Setting her completed article on Eri's desk, Kagome sighed heavily. She desperately needed sleep. But she highly doubted she would receive much when she got home. Sango would skin her alive when she got back. It was the third time that week she hadn't shown up for one of their weekly dinner. And it was just Thursday.

She felt bad that she had to bail on her best friend. If she could, she would do everything in her power to prevent it. But it was unavoidable. Being a magazine journalist with her own column took a lot of time spending at the office, especially at night when it was crunch time right before printing. She'd tried to call Sango to apologize but her phone was turned off. After leaving a few messages and trying various numbers numerous times, she'd given up, hoping Sango would be able to forgive her.

As she stepped into the elevator to travel down to the ground floor, Eri ran up and put her hand in the door to keep it open. Her flock was gone but she still looked extremely frazzled.

"Kagome…." She gasped, panting for air. "I've been looking for you all over…."

"What's up, Eri? Is everything okay?" Eri just nodded, still panting.

"Yeah…. I just wanted to catch you before you left. I got you a meeting with Naraku tomorrow for your column. It's at 10:45 so don't be late. It's at his penthouse downtown. You know where it is, right?" Kagome nodded.

"Wait, _the_ Onigumo, Naraku? The one who owns half of Tokyo and is the third richest man in the whole country?"

"One and only." Eri said smiling smugly. "He'll be expecting you so don't be late. I'm counting on you Kags." Kagome smiled.

"Sure thing, Eri. I won't let you down. When do you want it by?"

I'd like it for next Saturday's printing so…. Friday afternoon, I suppose."

"Okay…. Gotcha, sure thing. I'll see you." Eri smiled.

"Yeah, I'll see you. Have a good evening, Kagome." Kagome just nodded. "And _please_ don't insult him okay? I'm counting on you."

"Yes, ma'am." Kagome drawled and let the elevator door close. She stepped out into the crisp autumn air and pulled her coat up around her tightly to keep warm as she dashed to her car.

She got in and turned it on, letting it warm up and blowing on her fingers. Pulling out her cell phone, she tried calling Sango again.

"You'd better have a good explanation." Sango growled into the pone. "Like you were dying from a bullet wound when you got caught in the cross fire of a gang shooting while on your way over here." Kagome laughed nervously.

"Sango, I'm really sorry. I tried to finish up as fast as I could, I promise. I even skipped lunch. I'm really, really, really, extremely sorry. Please forgive me?" There was a silence on the line.

"I don't think that's dying, Higurashi, Kagome."

"I know and I'm sorry! I tried calling you, honest!" Kagome said panicking. Sango was really mad; she never used Kagome's name so formally.

"You called?" Sango asked uncertainly.

"Yeah," Kagome relaxed just a little bit. "Your phone was turned off so I left a few messages explaining why I would be late or not be able to come."

"Really?... Oh, yeah, you did. You left nine messages……"

"I called more than that. Why'd you turn it off?"

"Some weirdo kept calling me. Somehow, he got a hold of my number. He hasn't stopped calling since."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry. I'm on my way home. Have you eaten yet?"

"No! And it's all your fault! I'm starving!"

"Me too. Well, are you still there?"

"I'm on my way out, why?"

"I'm a block away. I'll make dinner. See you in a little bit."

"Okay, but this doesn't mean you're completely off the hook."

"I know. I _am_ really sorry."

"I know. But there's gonna be a lot of 'making dinner's to get you back in the clear. But I'm glad that you called to apologize and stuff."

"Okay, fine by me. See ya."

They both hung up and Kagome sighed. She'd been 'making dinner' for the past two years to make it up to Sango. She didn't really mind too much, though. Ever since she was little and had an Easy Bake Oven, she loved to cook and come up with her own recipes. And Sango was always willing to try them out.

When Kagome got in, she went straight to the kitchen, pulling out everything she'd need. Boiling her homemade spinach ravioli that was in the refrigerator, she set about making toasted rolls and salad. When the ravioli was done, she covered it in and olive oil/parmesan cheese mix and set it in a bowl on the small kitchen table with the salad and rolls. She poured water into cups and set the table. Just as she was washing her hands, Sango walked in.

"I'm heating some sauce if you want some."

"Sure……" Sango said absent mindedly as she sat down and started dishing up her food.

They ate dinner and Kagome cleaned up the dishes as Sango went to bed in order to be on time for her early appointments with the stars. When Kagome was done, she glanced around the small apartment, nodding at the mostly clean rooms before heading to bed. She could sleep in a little bit before she had to go interview Mr. Onigumo.

**Chapter 2: Journalist Smackdown**


	2. Journalist Smack Down

**Headlines- Chapter 2: Journalist Smack Down**

_I'm _back_::crowd gasps: I know, I know, big shocker there! Okay, I'm dedicating this marvelous chapter to... Drum roll please…. Inulover4391! Whoo yeah! My first reviewer _ever_! Hooray for me! And her! Ha-ha! And just to clarify my spelling and grammar genius: My dictionary is my best friend and lives up on my bed covered in markings from vocabulary words, and Spell-check, Dictionary's lovely cousin, is a very dear friend. And I'm very glad inulover4391 liked chapter one. I hope I don't disappoint! Thank you to her and all who read this story. I'm having lots of fun writing it! Thanks again!- Hope Swings_

The next morning, Kagome sat in a comfortable leather chair opposite the famous business tycoon in his impressive study filled with books, ancient scrolls and artifacts, and priceless pieces of art (like the rest of his penthouse home). But even in the rather comfortable surroundings, Kagome was on the edge of her seat- not exactly in excited anticipation of the interview but more for the end of the interview when she could leave.

The man in front of her behind the large mahogany desk was very handsome. But it was a cold, sinister handsome that chilled her to her bone marrow and unsettled her. He was almost like a spider toying with its prey and enjoying every minute of it. He had fairly long, wavy hair and cold piercing eyes. His designer suit was one-of-a-kind and fit his well-toned body. He had the face of a heart throb and had women swooning and throwing themselves at him. But sitting in his presence, Kagome just had an unmistakable urge to take a long shower- from the disgusting vibes radiating off of him or curl up in a ball for the rest of her life; she just felt so dirty under his intense gaze and wished to be done as soon as possible so she would never have to see him again.

"So…." She said awkwardly. "I'm Higurashi, Kagome," she offered her hand hesitantly, not wanting to make contact with this man. He took it and brushed his lips across her knuckles, causing her to shudder involuntarily and look away. He just smirked. "It's, um, nice to meet you." She finished lamely.

"Likewise." He said in a deep, velvety voice that was menacing and hypnotizing at the same time. "Onigumo, Naraku. The pleasure is all mine."

Kagome just nodded and forced a smile. As calmly as she could, she drew a tape recorder and a note pad and a pen from her purse. Naraku just gazed on coldly, following her every move with his dark, shadowed eyes.

"Well, why don't we get started. I'm just going to ask questions. Answer them as you deem fit." Kagome pressed a button to start the recorder and squared her shoulders, determined to do her job as well as possible. After all, she _was_ the best in her field.

"I'll start off easy. What's your favorite color?" Naraku raised an eyebrow.

"Purple." Kagome nodded.

"Do you have any pets?"

"I'm very interested in arachnids and reptiles. I suppose you could say I have somewhat of a menagerie developing." Kagome forced a smile and continued.

"Did you ever think that your business, Miasma Corp., would get this far? It certainly is impressive how far it's gotten and how much it has grown."

"Miasma is a multi-billion dollar corporation. That was my intent form the beginning. But I don't intend to stop there."

"How so? Why would you want to expand even more if you could retire today and live comfortably until you're two-hundred and still have so much left over?"

"Simple; power. I will not stop until I control it all." He said as if it was obvious.

"Oh…. I see…. How did you start? How did this company begin and how has it grown since then in your eyes?"

"I won a bet." He said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"I won a bet. The fool kept playing until he had nothing left. He finally put his company on the line and lost. I won and owned the company. I expanded, taking over smaller companies and eventually, it grew to this." He gestured around him. "All you see is a product of Miasma."

Kagome could tell she was gaping at him like a fish out of water. She could see him smirking and pictured him as the boy who had taken her out and was watching delightedly as she flopped about; dying. Shaking her head, she came to her senses and tried to regain her composure.

"So…. You're saying that you won the company through _gambling _and expanded by cheating people out of their jobs and basically stole their money by forcing them to give up their businesses?" she asked incredulously.

"In a way, yes." He seemed unaffected by anything that she said, like he didn't care for other people's welfare.

She could feel her anger boiling within her, rising as it began to overspill.

"Do you care about what happened to those people?" she said in a strained voice.

"No."

"Do you care about anything but yourself?"

"No. All this happened because of me. No one else deserves credit for my success."

"You achieved all of this from lying and cheating and scheming people out of their jobs, and eventually, their lives because they can't support their families or pay bills. Because of you and your company, thousands of people are living on the street with nowhere to go and nothing to eat. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I have no regrets. I look out for me and me alone. I honestly don't care about who gets in my way. They will be terminated and after that, I don't care if I never see them again, worthless scum."

She was going to explode if something didn't happen soon….

"…. And then, he had the gall to say that he honestly didn't care! And that he didn't _want_ to care!" Kagome fumed into the phone.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least you'll probably never have to see or speak to him again." Sango's voice said reassuringly.

"At least." Kagome said tiredly.

"Aw! Cheer up Kags! I'll see you tonight. I gotta go- bye!"

"Bye." The dial tone came from the other line and she clicked the phone off. "What was that all about…?" she muttered to herself and sighed, turning back to her barely written article. Something just wasn't right in Naraku's mind…. Groaning, she let her head fall against the keyboard. No one noticed. "So is my life." She grumbled, not caring about her plans for the rest of the day….

"Hey, Kagome, have you gotten that article written up yet…?" Eri stopped in her doorway and stared open-mouthed at the immobile journalist. Then her mind went into over-drive. "Oh my God! Kagome! Wake up! Kagome!" her voice rose in panicked hysteria. "Somebody! Help! Journalist down! This is not a joke! She overdosed on coffee and aspirin! She's _dead_!"

Kagome stirred and lifted her head up slightly, gazing groggily at her editor.

"Who's dead?" she mumbled.

"Kagome!" Eri stared at her incredulously.

"I should think so… Unless I somehow got a body or personality change…. What's wrong? You look a bit pale." Kagome sat up completely from where her head rested against the keyboard wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I thought you were _dead_!" Eri exclaimed, just getting over the initial shock of finding out she'd been fooled, albeit unintentionally.

"What? You thought I was…." Confusion flitted across her face. "I don't get it."

"Well, you were slumped against your keyboard and not moving. It's the middle of the day! What was I supposed to think?"

"Um…. That you overwork me and sleep deprivation was finally catching up to me?"

"Oh…. Good point…. I panicked! Sorry I was concerned that you might have died!" Eri said in a huff.

"No, no," Kagome held up her hands. "I'm sorry I scared you. I wasn't trying to. It's just…. I'm really tired. That interview with Naraku took a lot out of me." She sighed as she remembered what had transpired in his penthouse study.

"That bad, huh? Sorry I stuck you with it but I promised we'd have a segment on him. And I figured you could handle him." Eri said apologetically.

"It's okay. He just…. His type of people really gets on my nerves. It was as if he enjoyed kicking people out on the street and weaseling into other people's business to get what he wants. He actually admitted to not caring for anyone but himself. Can you believe that?"

Eri flinched and shook her head. Kagome was getting really riled up over this…. But she did have a good reason to be. Manipulators were the worst kind of people. And the kind that admitted to it openly and to the media without any type of remorse…. They were despicable. Coming from the media that supported cut-throat paparazzi, now that was bad.

But _The Hot Spot_ prided itself in only giving the straight, honest-to-goodness truth. No lies or rumors. If it wasn't true or even debatable, it wouldn't be printed. Coming from a weekly magazine/newspaper, that was impressive.

It had been started by young entrepreneurs right out of college about five years prior. It had become popular with the public because of it's daring, flashy articles that gave the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It was amateur work, in truth. But the bold, opinionated, and simple writers put it together so masterfully that it could easily compete with the professional tabloids. The articles used language that everyone could understand and had something to offer everyone. Over time, _The Hot Spot_ just grew and grew until it was a well-known, highly respected magazine that was up there with _People_ and _Weekly_, as well as _Seventeen, Vogue, _and_ The Rolling Stone_.

Just over a year ago, Kagome had come into the perpetual building of frenzied writers, printers, photographers, editors, planners, publicists, stylists, and so on and so forth. Eri, her long-time friend, had been there for two and a half years already and was on her way to co-editor from assistant editor. It had taken a while, but Kagome was eventually given her own column and Eri had become Chief Editor of their whole floor. She still took on various interviews when the other journalists were too busy. The atmosphere, although hectic, was comfortable and loose. Everyone was family and informal, always cracking jokes and goofing off. It was professional but not stifled and Kagome really enjoyed and prided in working there. Besides, her editor wasn't too overbearing and the pay wasn't too shabby either.

Turning back to her computer screen, Kagome returned to her unfinished article. It was strange, she usually enjoyed her job and writing articles for the magazine. But for this one, she just couldn't quite find herself willing to finish it; at least without completely putting slander all over Naraku's name and business. And it was taking forever. It was just so difficult to finish it. It'd been four days already since her interview with Naraku. She normally finished articles within a few days. It never took this long, especially since she'd barely gotten anywhere with it. She'd spent more time in her small cubicle lately, staying later than the janitors and locking up at night. She didn't really see why she even bothered to go home. With the stress building up over not being able to finish it getting home every night around three in the morning, Kagome was basically lining off of coffee and popping aspirin like no tomorrow because of the migraines she was getting from staring at her blank computer screen all day, typing the occasional word or phrase every few minutes, quickly deleting them a second later. No wonder Eri thought she was dead….

Heaving a sigh, Kagome stood up from her desk and grabbed her coat and purse. On her way out of her cubicle, Kagome hesitated before snatching up her portfolio full of notes from the interview and the tape recorder full of her questions and his answers, as well as her camera from the hook on the wall. It was time for another trip to the park.


	3. Sand Castle Kingdom

_Okay, I think this was one of my most favorite chapters to write, like, ever. Except it gets a little sad….. I'm so proud of myself. It didn't take a really long time (like weeks) to type out this chapter! The other two I'd been working on at the same time but I started them during the summer and just never got around to finishing them. It's a really good thing I write out my stories first. It saves me time and I don't just sit at the computer, staring at a blank screen, thinking about what to write next…… And I can write any time and any place! Yay! Okay, read on! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks! – Hope Swings _

**Headlines – Chapter 3: Sand Castle Kingdom**

Kagome walked through the park along the leaf-scattered path, inhaling the crisp autumn air. She closed her eyes and dug her hands further into her pockets appreciatively. It was her favorite time of the year - right when summer was just ending and the signs were becoming clearer that winter was on its way. The temperature was dropping but not so much where the thick, heavy winter coats, hats, scarves, sweaters, mittens, and earmuffs had to be dug out from the boxes in the attic or crawl space. With a light-hearted laugh, Kagome skipped ahead a few spaces, her eyes sparkling with undiluted joy, truly finding a moment of happiness in her hectic life for the first time in a really long while.

She came across the playground, young children scurrying after each other and on the jungle gym while their mothers and nannies sat on the side, chatting. Sitting down on an unoccupied bench, Kagome brought her camera up to her face and focused on a group of children playing tag, snapping the picture right before a girl fell and scraped her knee, bursting into tears. She clicked away, capturing each emotion that flitted across her face when a middle-aged woman rushed over and scooped her up, planting loving kisses all over her face until she calmed down and laughed care freely. Kagome smiled softly at the interaction before moving on.

She took a whole role of film on the inhabitants of the playground for the next half hour. There was the group of boys swinging from the monkey bars, grinning at heir feats of courage and strength boastfully. And then there was the girls playing hair salon on the bouncing ponies on the far side. There was also the group of boys terrorizing a little girl; taking her doll and tugging on her pigtails. At that, Kagome's eyes narrowed in contempt as she thought of Naraku. She quickly moved on to the gossiping housewives and nannies on the benches as they laughed and chatted away. Then there were the girls on the swings in their school uniforms, with their book bags and matching hair ribbons. But her favorite, above all, was the little copper-haired boy in the sandbox. All he had was a pail and a shovel but the look of pure joy and excitement on his adorable, innocent face was breathtaking to Kagome. It was rare to see those kinds of emotions on a child's face when there was so much pain and sadness - forcing children to grow up faster and faster, especially over something so simple. It brought tears to the corners of her eyes that she quickly blinked away and a small smile lit up her face.

She could remember the first time she'd met the little boy in he same spot. He was such a wonderful five-year-old almost two years ago. She'd been in a fowl mood that day too and had gone to the park to calm down and collect her thoughts.

_Glancing around, Kagome tried to find who was in charge of the adorable little boy with the copper hair pulled back into a ponytail with a blue ribbon. But she couldn't see anyone who resembled his features and it seemed as if no one noticed him or paid any attention as to whether or not he was still safe and in the same place than a second before. Puzzled, Kagome stood and walked over slowly, her curiosity overpowering her common sense._

"_Excuse me?" she asked softly to the little boy. He looked up at her beaming. "Hi," she said, kneeling down beside him. "I'm Kagome. Are you having fun all by yourself? Could I play with you?" The little boy nodded, sifting sand through his tiny hands._

"_I'm making a castle," he said proudly. "See?" he pointed to a lopsided mound of sand._

"_Oh…." Kagome said in awe. "It's a lovely castle. Is it for a king and queen to live in?"_

"_Uh-huh! And they're gonna slay dragons and battle dark knights and rescue princesses!"_

"_Wow! They must be very brave!"_

"_Yeah! And they have a big," - he stretched out his arms – "kingdom with lots and lots of subjects!"_

"_Their subjects must really like them a lot if there's so many." The little boy smiled even wider._

"_I'm Shippou." He said proudly, puffing out his chest. "I'm five."_

_Oh, wow! You're so old! Your mommy must be so proud!" Kagome said, smiling at his little display of macho-ness._

"_Mommy was very proud! She was the queen and Daddy was the king. We did everything together." He shifted sand through his little fingers again, staring intently at it. "But then the bad men came and Mommy and Daddy got real scared and told me to hide in the closet. There was a big Bang! And another one – Bang!" he seemed mesmerized by the sand. But then he looked up with his piercing, emerald green eyes that seemed so innocent a moment ago but now were filled with a wise sadness._

"_There were six," he held up six sandy fingers. "Bangs! And then there wasn't anything." His voice was solemn and quiet. He went back to sifting sand. "When I got out, Mommy and Daddy had big booboos and were napping with their eyes open on thee floor. Mommy and Daddy never woke up." He said, whispering his secret to Kagome, not looking up form the small forming pile of sand._

"_Then the lady came and took me to live with a whole bunch of other kids like me. Their mommies and daddies are all sleeping for a long time too." Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized what Shippou was talking about and the edges of her vision blurred from the threatening tears._

"_W-what happened to the kingdom and all the subjects?" she asked in a small voice. Shippou looked up and stared her right in the eyes with wide, emerald eyes._

"_The bad men came and went Ka-Boom!" his hand flashed out and pounded into the sand castle/mound. "And everything went Splat! Now they're all gone." Shippou wiped off his sandy hands, never looking away from Kagome's eyes. Kagome sniffled and she tried to keep the tars from spilling over, failing miserably._

_A perplexed look came over Shippou's face and he reached up and touched her wet cheeks. His brow crinkled as he frowned at her tears. Kagome just stare down at the little five-year-old who was so wise because of what he'd already had to go through. Yet he still retained his innocence and purity. He still held onto the simplicity of childhood._

"_Miss Kagome? Why're your eyes leaking? Is a pipe broke?" he asked in a serious voice filled with concern. "Did you get a booboo?"_

_Despite her tears, Kagome smiled at his words. She wiped at her eyes and dried off her damp cheeks. Her smile widened at his face and she gave a soft laugh, ruffling his hair slightly – much to his annoyance._

"_No, I'm okay, Shippou; just a little sad."_

"_About what? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you Miss Kagome?" a guilty look filled his face as he hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Miss Kagome." He said quietly. Kagome just continued to smile. "No, Shippou! You did nothing wrong! I was just thinking about something sad. It's not your fault. You don't have to apologize." _

"_Really? Are you happy now, Miss Kagome?" Kagome though about it for a moment before nodding, smiling even wider._

"_Yeah! Really! And just call me Kagome, okay?" he smiled and jumped up._

"_Okay, Kagome!" he said excitedly. Kagome laughed and stood up too, taking his hand._

"_Do you want some ice cream, Shippou? I could sure use some right now. How about you?"_

"_Ice cream? Really?_

"_Yeah, my treat. How about it?"_

"_Thanks, Kagome! Nobody's ever been so nice to me before!" Kagome laughed at the bouncing ball of copper hair._

"_Okay. Did anyone come with you today? Do you need to check in with them first?"_

"_No, I came all by myself!" he puffed out his chest again. "I can take care of myself! I'm a man!" he beat his chest with his fist proudly._

"_Really? All by yourself? In such a dangerous neighborhood? You must be really brave!" He just grinned up at her. Kagome laughed and purchased the ice cream from the vendor on the other side of the playground._

_They sat on the bench, licking their ice cream contentedly. Shippou swung his legs over the edge and dove face fist into the sweet, creamy treat, getting his strawberry ice cream all over the bottom half of his face. Kagome just laughed at the comical sight and snapped a picture._

_Afterward, Kagome, in a much better mod than before her trip to the park, and Shippou, with a much cleaner face and hands than before the ice cream, walked back to where he lived – the orphanage. Kagome said good-bye at the door and headed off to Sango's and her apartment with a happy bounce in her step._

"Hey! Shippou!" she called to the young red-head. He looked up and a wide grin spread across his face at his motherly figure. Jumping up, he abandoned his castle and ran over to her, lunging head first into her embrace happily.

"Kagome! I haven't seen you in, like, _forever_!" his eyes grew to the size of saucers at the word. "Where've you been? I've missed you!"

"Aw! Shippou! I've missed you too!" she hugged him tighter. "I've been really busy lately. How's school?"

"I'm learning to read!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh! That's so wonderful! Your birthday's coming up soon, right? He nodded enthusiastically. Kagome laughed. "I can't wait! We're going to spend the whole day together!" Shippou's eye's widened.

"You mean it, Kagome?" he breathed.

"Of course! Just you and me! What ever you want to do!"

"Oh, thank you, Kagome! Thank you!" he flung his arms around her neck ingratitude, speechless at the kindness and generosity of the twenty-three-year-old woman he considered his mother.

Kagome just smiled and hugged the soon-to-be seven-year-old back. She truly loved him like a son. She'd spent countless hours with him over the past two years at the park whenever she could get off work or needed to just relax. She'd been trying to adopt the adorably little red-head but with her hectic lifestyle and the fact that he needed a home with two parents (or so said the orphanage), they were stuck. Kagome sighed softly, clutching the small, warm body to her even tighter. Why did life have to be so complicated, unlike in fairy tales that always have a happy ending? She'd be much happier….

**Chapter 4: Life's Tough**


	4. Life's Tough

**Headlines**

**Chapter Four – Life's Tough**

"Hey, Kagome, do you have that article for me yet?" Eri's voice drifted from her cubicle doorway.

Kagome looked up from her computer screen. "Um… yeah. Almost. Let me just run spell check real fast, then it's all yours."

She clicked and scanned the screen for a moment before starting up the printer. Eri stood there awkwardly as the machine spit out papers.

"Erm… Uh…" Eri stuttered, coughing lightly.

Kagome glanced over at her suspiciously before sighing and turning to face her completely.

"Okay, what is it?" she said flatly.

"Well, you see…" the editor shifted uncomfortably.

"Just spit it out, Eri!"

"I'm getting to it!"

There was a pause as Kagome waited for the editor to speak.

"Well…?" Kagome prompted expectantly.

"Okay," Eri took a deep breath, twisting her fingers together tightly. "Well… I-told-Rin-Sesshomaru's-secretary-that-I-could-cover-the-big-huge-gigantic-fashion-show-put-on-by-Miasma-Corp-and-I-can't-find-anyone-to-cover-it-and-it's-next-Saturday-so-could-you-please-please-please-cover-it-please?"

Kagome stared at her blankly for a moment as she waited with baited breath for her response.

"How can you say all that in one breath?" she finally asked dazedly.

Eri almost fell over. She'd expected her to say 'no' right off the bat, but this… Taking a deep breath and straightening her blouse she managed to say in a tight voice:

"Well, I-"

"Wait," Kagome interrupted her, holding up her hands, eyes closed. "Did you say you need me to cover a huge fashion show?"

"Could you? Please? Pretty please?" she clasped her hands in front of her pleadingly.

"Hold on. Let me finish, okay? A fashion show, this Saturday, put on by Miasma Corp?"

"Yeah…" Eri said tentatively.

"Eri, I don't know. I mean, I had a hard enough time once with Naraku. Now you want me to do it _again_?"

"It's put on by his _company_-"

"Which I loathe more and more by the day, now," Kagome cut in.

"-So you probably won't even have to talk to him or maybe even see him. So, I'm sure you'll probably be fine. Please, Kagome! I'm begging you!" Eri dramatically threw herself down on her knees at the young journalist's feet, clutching at her plain t-shirt.

Kagome grimaced, trying to ignore the puppy dog eyes her editor was sporting at the moment before sighing in defeat and pushing her away and dusting off her shirt and jeans.

"Okay, fine-" Eri squealed in delight. "- but you owe me – big time."

Eri just squealed again and gave her a crushing hug, beaming like the sun.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you! You won't regret this, Kags! I promise you!" she called the last part as she sprinted down the hall to her office, waving over her shoulder, her smile plastered in place like she'd used crazy glue to put it on.

Kagome just hung from her doorway dazed, staring after her euphoric editor. Some of her colleagues' heads popped up from above partitions or out of doorways, staring after their editor and then to Kagome quizzically. After a while of suspense, they got the message that neither editor – now long gone – nor journalist were going to divulge any information and returned to their own work, shrugging.

Kagome shook her head and went back to her computer. She rested the back of her head against the top of her chair, staring up at the insulation tiles of the ceiling with a sigh. Why did she always have to be so nice and such a pushover sometimes? Why couldn't she just say 'no' like the rest of the world? She just closed her eyes and ran a hand over her face. Right then, she didn't really care, she just needed some sleep.

There came a light knocking from her cubicle doorway, signaling that she had yet another visitor and would get no rest that day in her tiny space.

"Higurashi?" a familiar, boyish voice called softly from the doorway. "Higurashi, are you okay?"

Groaning internally, Kagome sat up and forced a smile directed at the doorway and the man standing in it.

"Yeah, Houjou, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess. It's what you get for pulling all-nighters, right?"

Her voice was sickeningly sweet and cheery, not betraying how annoyed and frustrated she was at the moment. Houjou just smiled awkwardly, blushing shyly at her attention.

"Well… I just stopped by to drop these off," a bouquet of yellow roses appeared magically from behind his back. "I hope you like them. They reminded me of you. Um…" he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "I was wondering if you'd like to go to a movie this Saturday… That is, if you're not busy. If you are that's okay but…"

Kagome tuned him out, focusing on the bundle of roses in her hands. 'Yellow… It's what you'd get your sick grandmother in the hospital…' Fighting the urge to wrinkle he nose, she contemplated his suggestion as he rambled on, oblivious to her lack of attention. Offering up a small 'thank you' to the ceiling, Kagome turned to the photographer in her doorway.

"I'm sorry, Houjou," she cut him off, her voice full of fake disappointment. "I'm covering a fashion show on Saturday. Eri just told me. I would love to go, but I can't."

"Oh…" his face fell before he forced a small smile. "Well… That's okay."

He paused for a second before hastily turning to leave but then turning back around quickly.

"I guess… I guess I'll see you later then… Bye, Higurashi."

With that, the tall, lanky, still boyish, chestnut-haired man fled in the opposite direction her editor had taken not two minutes prior.

"Bye, Houjou. Thank you!" she called after him as he retreated to the elevator.

With a sigh, Kagome put the roses on her desk and went back to her previous occupation. 'Houjou works on the next floor down, so he probably won't be assigned to the fashion show. Eri's not his floor editor and she got the assignment from Sesshomaru… well, his secretary, so I'll most likely be paired with Yuka from Fashion or something…. I can handle that…'

She'd known Houjou since they were in high school. He was a year ahead of her and was always very nice – although extremely shy. Her friends had always told her that he liked her and that they made a cute couple. And when she showed the slightest interest that was all it took.

From then on, he was constantly giving her little gifts (that she would end up giving to her grandfather because they were for aches and pains, curing any sort of ailment imaginable) and asking her out to the movies. Finally, thinking maybe he'd loose interest afterwards, Kagome consented to go out with him to the movies. She might as well have been signing a marriage license. He was practically stalking her, always 'coincidentally' turning up wherever she was and offering to tutor her in any of her subjects she might be needing help in, always ready with the same suggestion to see a movie after that.

After a while, it came to be a joke between her friends and she secretly suspected them of keeping tally on everything, knowing exactly what he got her from the beginning and exactly how many times he'd asked her to the movies, although she herself had lost count after fifty-seven. It was almost as if they found sadistic pleasure in poking fun at her practically non-existent love life. And what was worse, Houjou was still doing it after almost eight years. She'd dropped countless hints about her feelings, in some not-so-subtle ways, yet he still never got it. Sometimes she wondered how such a smart person could be so stupid, especially after so many years.

Picking up the phone, she decided to call Sango. It was her turn to pick the restaurant for their weekly dinner out and she'd just gotten an idea for where they should go. She also wanted to tell her the news about the fashion show and the irony of Houjou asking her out for the same night. Sure, Sango might make a jab at the Houjou thing, but she could always bring up the weirdo who kept calling… Grinning, she waited for Sango to answer the phone. This was going to be a fun evening…

_H_

Sadly, just as she'd expected, Kagome had gotten no rest that day. But, at five thirty, she snatched up her bag and hightailed it out of the magazine's headquarters clutching a luke-warm cup of coffee for dear life. Thankfully, she didn't fall asleep on her way home to take a quick shower and change her clothes. As soon as she was done, Kagome hopped back in her car and drove to where she was meeting Sango for dinner, relieved that, for once, she didn't have to reschedule or arrive extremely late only to find that that kitchens were closed and she would be making dinner – again – and reschedule anyway. She was actually a little early and there before Sango was. Today was just filled with unexpected twists and turns and ups and downs. She almost wanted to laugh at how strangely it was going.

Suddenly, her cell phone began ringing. Digging around in her purse for it, she answered hurriedly to the unfamiliar number, a strange feeling creeping into the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right…

"Higurashi, Kagome. How may I help you?" she said in a clipped tone, fighting back her unease with a figurative umbrella.

A familiar voice came onto the other line. The feeling just grew in her stomach, crawling restlessly up the sides of its cage, struggling to get out.

"There's… been an accident…" they said uncomfortably in a small, strained voice.

"Mama? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, trying to keep the panic from rising in her voice.

She knew it. She knew something was wrong. At her mother's next words, she desperately fought back the urge to give in to her sudden wave of nausea and dizziness. She put a hand out to steady herself on the steering wheel in front of her.

"It's… Souta… He's in the hospital…"

She could hear her mother's soft sobs on the other line through her broken words. Her stomach dropped and the world fell away suddenly. Then it all snapped back like a rubber band and everything was clear and razor-edged.

"Mama? What happened? Is he okay? Mama!"

"Please get here as soon as you can, Kagome."

And with that, the line went dead, leaving Kagome with the dial tone buzzing in her ears. She just sat there numbly, not knowing what to do, listening to the white noise from the small devise in her hand and the blood pounding in her ears. A few minutes later, Sango came running up to her car door, apologizing for being a little late. As soon as she saw the expression on her friend's face, she knew something was wrong. There was only one other time she'd sported that look, and she had just heard that her grandfather had died.

"Kagome?" she asked tentatively, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "Kagome? Is everything okay? Kagome?"

"Sango…" she said blinked and her eyes focused on her friend's face. "We need to get to the hospital… now."

Sango didn't say anything, just nodded and helped Kagome into the passenger seat, taking her place at the wheel. Sango floored it all the way to the hospital, knowing that how long it took to get there would determine whether her best friend was pushed over the edge. Something was wrong and they both had a feeling they knew what it was.

_H_

"Oi, Miroku!" a gruff voice called from the open doorway on the left side of the hall.

A dark-haired young man paused in his easy-going stroll to the front of the chic brownstone. He leaned in to the earthly-tone study to find a light-haired young man lounging on a black leather couch facing a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall. His attention was focused on the images that flashed across the screen and didn't even turn around.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Miroku inquired, resting his shoulder against the doorframe and crossing his arms.

"Do we have anything going on for the rest of the day?"

"Um… no, not that I know of. Why?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Get that smirk off your face, you filthy pervert," he growled, amber eyes still trained on the TV. "I was just wondering because I don't feel like going out tonight."

"Oh really?" Miroku asked with a quirked brow. "You don't feel like going to a bar or a club to pick up girls with your devilishly handsome manager?"

"No. I don't. You know I hate going out in public these days." He finally broke his gaze away to pin his manager with a look that the dark-haired man was supposed to be able to decipher.

Miroku sighed, resigned to his fate for that night. "Fine," he muttered, "you old codger. Always wrecking my fun…"

Inuyasha just smirked back at him before turning back to what he was watching, a cry ripping from his throat suddenly. Miroku perked up and moved into the room, plopping down on the couch beside his client and long-time friend.

"Ah," he said knowingly. "The fight's on."

Inuyasha merely grunted in response. Miroku chuckled and settled down to watch the two men on the screen punching the snot out of the other in front of a roaring audience. No wonder Inuyasha didn't want to leave the house… not to mention the fact that with his celebrity these days, he couldn't go anywhere without a horde of fanatics following him around and drawing even more attention to him. Oh, the woes of Japan's most famous pretty boy…

H

_Wow, it's been a really long time since I've even looked at this thing… And it's not that bad by my standards… I really honestly thought I had this one up too, 'cause I remember finishing it and moving on to the fifth chapter. But I guess not. I pulled this up tonight and found out that I hadn't even finished typing it up. And since I didn't feel like digging through my piles of stuff to find the handwritten copy of this chapter, I decided just to wing it and finish it up off the top of my head. That and I think I'm gonna start working on this some more and go through and edit things that I caught and was angry at myself for missing so long ago. Well… when I have time. I have an idea where I want it to go too. So yeah, there's the fourth chapter of _Headlines_. Hopefully it won't take me this long for the next installment… – Hope Swings _


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